National Guard Accidentally Sends Furlough Notices

By Kedar Pavgi

March 25, 2013

The National Guard accidentally sent furlough notices to thousands of its members last week, even after the Pentagon ordered a delay, the Associated Press reported.

The mistaken notices went to Guard members in up to 21 states and territories, according to AP. The states and territories include Alaska; Arkansas; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Indiana; Maine; Montana; Nevada; Nebraska; New Hampshire; New Jersey; Oklahoma; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Tennessee; Utah; Virgin Islands; West Virginia; Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Officials told AP that they were working to rescind the notices as quickly as possible, and a spokesman told The Washington Post that Guard leaders were also working to inform their ranks of the withdrawals.

The Defense Department announced last week that it was going to delay the delivery of furlough notices for two weeks to better analyze how the spending bill Congress passed to keep government open for the rest of fiscal 2013 would affect the across-the-board budget cuts from sequestration. The legislation shifted some resources at the Pentagon, including nearly $10 billion directed toward operation and maintenance accounts and the restoration of the military’s tuition assistance program.

A spokeswoman told Government Executive last week that furlough notices at Defense would go out April 5, and furloughs would begin no earlier than May 6.